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| Widener Photo |
Chester, PA (Sept. 14, 2013) – Freshman Seth Klein (Wernersville, PA/Wilson West Lawn)broke the school and Middle Atlantic Conference’s single-game record for most completions for 24th-ranked Widener, which won a record 15th straight game at Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium in a 35-28 league win over Lebanon Valley.
Things looked real good on Widener’s first drive, as it methodically went 65 yards in just over three minutes for a 7-0 lead with 9:57 left in the first quarter. Senior Terrant Morrison (Smyrna, DE/Smyrna) got the start at running back and notched 27 yards rushing on the drive before sophomore Richard Brown (Trenton, NJ/Conwell-Egan Catholic) punched it in from one yard.
The Pride’s offense continued in gear later in the quarter when Klein found junior All-AmericaAnthony Davis (Upland, PA/Chester) wide open on a 27-yard fade route for a 14-0 lead with2:33 to play.
The Dutchmen (1-1, 0-1 MAC) closed to 14-7 early in the second when Brian Murphy hooked up with Darryl Sweeper for a 24-yard touchdown pass. The Pride got it back with 6:01 left in the half when Morrison’s one-yard touchdown run ended a 68-yard drive that required only 66 seconds.
Sophomore Ryan O’Hara (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford) kicked a 19-yard field just before halftime for a 24-7 margin. It punctuated a half in which the Pride (1-1, 1-0) got 296 yards on 50 plays.
The second half stated slow for both offenses, but LVC struck first in the third. After stopping Widener on downs at midfield, Murphy seven plays later ran one in from five yards with 2:37 to play for a 24-14 deficit.
O’Hara kicked his second field goal of the day, a 42-yard boot, just 11 seconds into the fourth quarter for a 27-14 lead.
But the Dutchmen were not done. On their first play of their next drive, Joey Miller caught a pass from Murphy, eluded a defender and raced 70 yards down the left sideline for a 27-21 contest.
After each team was forced to punt, Widener needed a successful march to regain momentum and got it. A 69-yard drive that required three third-down conversions ended when Brown got his second one-yard score for a 35-21 lead with 8:17 to play.
LVC refused to disappear. Backup quarterback Jeremy Franck was inserted under center and immediately took charge, producing a stat on 11 of the team’s 12 plays in that drive. He had four rushes in the march, including a two-yard sneak with 1:30 left for a 35-28 deficit.
With the onside kick coming, Widener was ready as Sean Fakete’s attempt was recovered by sophomore Emmanuel Fields (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) that all but ended the contest.
Klein ended with 40 receptions, breaking the mark of 37 set by Mike Lomas against Lycoming on November 8, 2003. During his 51 attempts, he threw for 392 yards for the 12th-highest total in school annals.
Davis had 13 receptions, two short of the school record, for 120 yards, junior Adam Marcucci (Sicklerville, NJ/Washington Twp.) had nine catches for 87 yards and Morrison amassed 25 carries for 89 yards.
Widener ran an alarming 96 plays for 518 yards of offense and converted 9-of-20 third-down chances. The new winning streak at the 20-year-old stadium bettered the old mark set from 2000-03
Junior Brandon Harper (Blackwood, NJ/Highland), a reigning member of the MAC Weekly Honor Roll, had nine tackles and sophomore Stacey Sunnerville (Freehold, NJ/Freehold)notched 2 1/2 sacks for the Pride.
Murphy completed 16-of-28 passes for 222 yards, Jake Ziegler had seven catches for 68 yards with Frank Gaffney, Ryan Melley and Bryan Kasper getting nine tackles apiece for the Dutchmen, who totaled 395 yards over 80 plays.
Widener is on the road next Saturday at Wilkes, starting at 1:00 pm.
